Susquehanna River Fishing Guide

Updated October 25, 2026. A plain-language summary with links to the official sources. It is not the regulations: always check the PA Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) in Pennsylvania and Maryland DNR in Maryland before you go.

On this page

• The six sections of the Susquehanna
• Susquehanna smallmouth bass
• Susquehanna musky
• Susquehanna flathead catfish
• Susquehanna Flats and Conowingo (Maryland)
• Boat launches and public access by section
• River gauges by section
• Safety, high water and dams
• FAQ

The river system

The six sections of the Susquehanna

• West Branch: from the Curwensville area down through Lock Haven and Williamsport to the confluence at Northumberland and Sunbury.
• North Branch: from the New York line at Great Bend and Sayre down through Wilkes-Barre and Danville to Northumberland.
• Juniata: from the Raystown, Frankstown and Little Juniata branches down to Amity Hall, where it meets the Susquehanna at Duncannon.
• Upper main stem: Sunbury to Harrisburg.
• Lower main stem: below Harrisburg, past Holtwood to Conowingo Reservoir and the Maryland line.
• Susquehanna Flats (Maryland): the Maryland part of Conowingo Pool (nontidal), then the tidal river below Conowingo Dam to Havre de Grace, Perryville, the North East River and the Flats.

Pennsylvania rules (2026 PA Fishing Summary) cover the first five sections. Maryland rules (2026 Maryland Guide to Fishing and Crabbing) cover the Flats.

Species

Susquehanna smallmouth bass

Where: Pennsylvania's fish consumption advisories list smallmouth on the North Branch, and PFBC's special bass rules cover the Juniata and the main stem. On the West Branch, a PFBC night electrofishing survey of Section 06 (Montoursville, Watsontown and Chillisquaque) caught 132 smallmouth in 4 hours in July 2008 (PFBC biologist report, 2008); that is the most recent West Branch adult survey we found. Maryland DNR lists large and smallmouth bass at Susquehanna State Park below Conowingo.

Pennsylvania rules

• Catch and release, all year: on the Susquehanna from the inflatable dam near Sunbury down to Holtwood Dam, and on the Juniata from the SR 75 bridge at Port Royal to the mouth (tributaries ½ mile upstream), bass are catch and immediate release only.
• Everywhere else in PA except Conowingo Reservoir below Holtwood Dam (see its own table), including the West Branch, the North Branch and the Juniata above Port Royal), the statewide bass seasons apply: January 1 to April 10 and October 1 to December 31, 15 in and 4 a day; April 11 to June 12, catch and immediate release only with no tournaments; June 13 to September 30, 12 in and 6 a day.
• Casting repeatedly into a visible bass nest is unlawful. Tournaments on the North Branch, West Branch or main stem can't allow bass harvest.
• Consumption advisory: smallmouth from several North Branch reaches, 2 meals a month (mercury).

Sources: 2026 PA Fishing Summary, 58 Pa. Code §65.24.

Maryland rules (the Flats and Conowingo Pool)

• Tidal water (below Conowingo Dam and the Flats): open all year; 15 in minimum March 1 to June 15, 12 in June 16 to the end of February; 5 a day combined (COMAR 08.02.05.19).
• Nontidal (Maryland part of Conowingo Pool): harvest June 16 to the last day of February, 12 in, 5 a day (10 in possession). Catch and release is allowed at all times, so March 1 to June 15 is catch and release only (MD guide).

Through the seasons

Field reports from guides and outdoor writers, not research. Timing varies year to year and along the river.

• Spring: smallmouth move from deep holes to secondary points, then toward spawning areas; coves and feeder creeks first (Game & Fish).
• Spawn: at about 60–70°F over shallow hard bottom, with the male guarding a nest in sand or gravel (PFBC smallmouth guide). Leave nests alone.
• Fall: fish move to deeper pools, channels and ledges as the water cools (The Fisherman).
• Winter: below about 50°F, smallmouth slow down in slack, deeper water; fish the warmest water with slow baits (Bassmaster).

Species

Susquehanna musky

Where: by segment, from PFBC's muskellunge management plans and its 2025 survey. PFBC numbers river sections; check with PFBC for exact section limits.

• North Branch: wild. Sections 01–10 met PFBC's population benchmark in 2012–2016 sampling, and stocking ended in 2017 to rely on natural reproduction (PFBC musky plan, 2017 update).
• West Branch: Section 06 is managed for natural reproduction; Section 07 is a stocked restoration water recovering from acid mine drainage (PFBC musky plan, 2012; 2017 update).
• Juniata: Sections 02–04 and 07 are stocked with musky, and the Raystown Branch (Sections 05 and 08) with tiger musky (2017 update).
• Upper main stem: PFBC's spring 2025 survey caught 14 musky, 22.2–42.3 in, at Sunbury, Shady Nook, Hoovers Island and New Cumberland, and reports a strong population from Sunbury to New Cumberland (PFBC 2025 musky survey).
• Lower main stem: Section 05, below York Haven, is a stocked section (2017 update).

Pennsylvania rules

• Musky and tiger musky: open all year, 40 in minimum, 1 a day combined. This applies on the West Branch, North Branch, Juniata and the main stem in PA, except Conowingo Reservoir below Holtwood Dam, where the minimum is 36 in (see below; 2026 PA Fishing Summary).
• Conowingo Reservoir: a PA license is valid on the Maryland part of the reservoir, and a Maryland nontidal license on the PA part, waters' edge to waters' edge, from a boat. It doesn't cover tributaries or shore fishing (MD guide, p. 11).

Maryland rules

• Nontidal waters (including the Maryland part of Conowingo Pool): open all year, 36 in minimum, 1 a day and 2 in possession (MD guide).
• Tidal water below Conowingo Dam: check the Maryland guide before keeping a musky.

Cold water

Much musky fishing happens in the cold months. In Pennsylvania, from November 1 to April 30 you must wear a life jacket on boats under 16 ft and on all canoes, kayaks and paddleboards (PFBC).

Species

Susquehanna flathead catfish

Where: flatheads are not native here. The Susquehanna River Basin Commission says they are now found throughout most of the basin but are still absent from parts of the West Branch and Juniata sub-basins. PFBC surveys place them on the North Branch from Bloomsburg to Wysox, about 120 miles (PFBC North Branch catfish survey, 2021), and on the West Branch up to Watsontown, where PFBC first caught them in 2024 (PFBC West Branch catfish surveys, 2018–2024). The first catch in the Susquehanna itself was at Safe Harbor Dam in 2002 (SRBC invasive species plan, 2025). Maryland DNR says they are in substantial numbers in the Conowingo Dam pool and the lower river below the dam (MD DNR).

Pennsylvania rules

• Flatheads fall under the catfish rules: open all year, no minimum size, 50 a day combined with the panfish group. Bowfishing for catfish is allowed day or night, with exceptions listed in the summary. On Conowingo Reservoir below Holtwood Dam, flatheads have no minimum and no daily limit (see below; 2026 PA Fishing Summary).
• Pennsylvania Sea Grant encourages anglers in the Susquehanna watershed not to release flatheads, regardless of size (PA Sea Grant fact sheet). It's unlawful to release any fish into a water where PFBC hasn't approved that species, without written permission.
• Consumption advisory: Susquehanna from the West Branch confluence to the Maryland line, flatheads over 30 in, 1 meal a month (mercury, PCBs).
• Pennsylvania's state record flathead, 66 lb 6 oz, came from the Susquehanna at Lake Aldred near Conestoga on May 14, 2023 (PFBC, PA state record fish).
• PFBC biologists describe flatheads as a recent invader of the Susquehanna that they are monitoring (PFBC North Branch catfish survey).

Maryland rules

• Flatheads are invasive: no minimum size, no creel limit, open all year. DNR asks anglers to remove and kill them.
• Moving a live flathead or releasing it into a different water is illegal, with fines up to $2,500 per fish and up to $25,000 per incident (MD DNR, MD guide).
• Maryland's state record flathead, 57.0 lb, was caught at the Lapidum boat ramp on December 27, 2020 (MD guide).

How Maryland DNR says to fish for them

• Tactics are the same as for blue catfish: a sliding-sinker (fish-finder) rig with a circle hook, and a shorter leader in swift current.
• Egg sinkers from a boat; bank or pyramid sinkers from shore. A conventional reel on free spool with the clicker on.
• Fresh cut bait: menhaden, gizzard shad, white perch, bluegill or eel. Live bait for the largest fish (MD DNR flathead fishing).
• PFBC lists summer nights as prime time, with baits fished on the bottom (PFBC flathead page).

Maryland

Susquehanna Flats and Conowingo

• License: below Conowingo Dam the river is tidal, so you need a Maryland Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport License (MD DNR). PA license reciprocity covers only Conowingo Reservoir, from a boat. There is none on the Flats (MD guide).
• Conowingo Dam: boats are prohibited all year in the zones above and below the dam set out in COMAR 08.18.26.05. Conowingo spill hotline 877-457-2525; river flow line 888-457-4076.
• Striped bass: the Flats and lower river have their own 2026 calendar, including catch-and-release-only and no-targeting periods (closed April 1 to May 31 and in August). Check the MD DNR striped bass maps before you go.
• Smallmouth, musky and flathead rules for Maryland are in each species section above.

Conowingo Reservoir in Pennsylvania (Holtwood Dam to the Maryland line)

Pennsylvania has a separate regulation table for "Conowingo Reservoir up to Holtwood Dam". It replaces the statewide and catch-and-release bass rules on this stretch:

• Bass (largemouth and smallmouth): January 1 to February 28 and June 16 to December 31, 12 in minimum, 5 a day combined. March 1 to June 15 isn't listed in the table; check with PFBC before keeping bass then.
• Musky and tiger musky: open all year, 36 in, 1 a day.
• Striped bass and striped bass/white bass hybrids: open all year, 18 in, 2 a day combined, only one over 30 in.
• Catfish: channel catfish, no minimum, 5 a day. Flatheads fall under "all other fish species": no minimum, no daily limit.
• Walleye: open all year, 15 in, 5 a day. Northern pike: open all year, 30 in, 2 a day.
• License: a Pennsylvania or Maryland license is valid on Conowingo Reservoir from a boat only, not in coves or tributaries and not from shore.

Source: 2026 PA Fishing Summary, p. 12 (Conowingo Reservoir table and boundary-water license agreements).

Fishing report and conditions

River gauges by section

Before any Susquehanna River fishing report, check the gauge for your section. USGS has the live level and flow; NWS has the forecast.

• West Branch: USGS Williamsport (01551500), NWS WILP1. USGS Karthaus (01542500) reports water temperature.
• North Branch: USGS Danville (01540500), with water temperature; NWS DANP1 (action 15 ft, minor flood 20 ft). Also Wilkes-Barre, WBRP1 (action 10 ft, minor 22 ft).
• Juniata: USGS Newport (01567000), NWS NPTP1 (action 17 ft, minor 22 ft). Upstream: Huntingdon.
• Upper main stem: USGS Harrisburg (01570500), with water temperature; NWS HARP1 (action 11 ft, minor 17 ft). Also Sunbury.
• Lower main stem: USGS Marietta (01576000), NWS MRTP1 (action 44 ft, minor 49 ft).
• Susquehanna Flats: USGS Conowingo (01578310), NWS CNWM2 (action 21.5 ft, minor 23.5 ft).

Safety

Safety, high water and dams

• Wear a life jacket in Pennsylvania from November 1 to April 30 in boats under 16 ft, kayaks, canoes and paddleboards (PFBC). It's the law, and cold water is the danger.
• Stay off high water. Check your section's forecast first (see above). For the Harrisburg area, the Susquehanna Greenway advises never boating if Harrisburg is forecast over 5 ft; PFBC's Susquehanna River Trail guide uses 6 ft.
• Dock Street dam (Harrisburg): just below City Island; down-river boaters must exit at City Island (Visit Hershey & Harrisburg).
• York Haven Dam: river right at the Falmouth launch, so paddle river left (Susquehanna Riverlands).
• Dauphin Narrows: class 2 rapids below Amity Hall; keep river left (Susquehanna Greenway).
• Conowingo Dam: stay out of the no-boat zones and watch for spill releases (see the Flats section).
• Never wade alone.

More: NWS inland boating safety and the NWS State College office.

FAQ

Susquehanna River fishing FAQ

Can I keep smallmouth bass from the Susquehanna?

Not from the inflatable dam near Sunbury down to Holtwood Dam, or on the Juniata from the SR 75 bridge at Port Royal to the mouth: bass there are catch and immediate release only, all year. Elsewhere in Pennsylvania the statewide bass seasons apply, except on Conowingo Reservoir below Holtwood Dam, which has its own table. On the Susquehanna Flats, Maryland's tidal bass rules apply.

What are the musky rules on the Susquehanna?

In Pennsylvania, musky and tiger musky are open all year with a 40-inch minimum and 1 per day combined; on Conowingo Reservoir below Holtwood Dam the minimum is 36 inches, 1 per day. In Maryland's nontidal waters, including the Maryland part of Conowingo Pool, the minimum is 36 inches, 1 per day and 2 in possession.

Should I release flathead catfish caught in the Susquehanna?

Pennsylvania Sea Grant encourages anglers in the Susquehanna watershed not to release flatheads, regardless of size. In Maryland, flatheads are invasive with no size or creel limit; DNR asks anglers to remove and kill them, and moving them alive or releasing them into a different water is illegal.

Do I need a Maryland license to fish the Susquehanna Flats?

Yes. Below Conowingo Dam the river is tidal, so you need a Maryland Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport License. A Pennsylvania license only carries over on Conowingo Reservoir itself, from a boat, not on tributaries or from shore.

Do I need a life jacket on the Susquehanna in Pennsylvania?

From November 1 to April 30 you must wear one on boats under 16 feet and on canoes, kayaks and paddleboards.

Which gauge should I check before fishing?

Use the gauge for your section: Williamsport on the West Branch, Danville on the North Branch, Newport on the Juniata, Harrisburg on the upper main stem, Marietta on the lower main stem and Conowingo for the Flats.